Axle suspension.



Patented Nov. 7, 1911..

2 BHEETB-BBBET 1.

0. B. ALLEN.

AXLE SUSPENSION.

Arrmonlou funn un 4. mo.

0. EfALLEN.

AXLE SUSPENSION.

APPLICATION FILEDC MAY 4, 1910. v 1,008,102. l Patented Nov. 7,41911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

oRvILLE E. ALLEN, or- HOENELL, NEw YORK.

AXLE SUSPENSION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedpivov. 7, 1911.

Application sied May 4, 1910. serial 110,559,331.'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORVILLE E. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Hornell, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented new and useful 1m rovements in Axle Suspensions, of which the lfollowing is a specification.

-This invention relates to an improvement in the axle suspension 'of motor vehicles and its principal objects are to Jprovide an or* ganization wherein the bearing parts and their cushioning adjuncts maybe assembled in a unitary and self-contained manner with respect to an element hereafter termed a driving lug and wherein the parts of the axle bearing and other associated parts have a novel and advantageous relation to one another and to the driving lug.

' An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example .in the accompanying drawings, which contain Figure 1, a view in central vertical section, of the improved axle suspension; Fig. 2, a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a

detail plan view of a seat block to be hereinafter specifically referred to; Fig. 4, a detail lan view of the sections of a socket memher or plate which is associated with the seat block shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a diagrammaticplan showing a practical application of the axle suspension; Fig. 6, a view in central vertical section of an alternative construction of air pumping adjunct; Fig. 7, a detail elevation in part section of the compressed air operated braking device; and Fig. 8, a detail elevation in part section of the same device and in a plane at right,l

angles to the plane of Fig. 7

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several' VleWS.

The means for transmitting power in a plate on each side of the slot may be aptly called driving lugs and are designated by the numeral 4.' The driving lugs are .each constructed with portions of a laterally and inwardly projecting flange, as 5, which circumscribes the slot, and has at its `lower end out-turned portions, as 6.

section, as 7 a lower section, 'as 8, and an..

` The end .portions of the axle 1 project intervening bushing, as 9, which directly surrounds the axle and isv provided at its sides with flanges, as 10, against which the sections 7 and 8 are held.

Theraxle is vertically movable with-'relation to the frame and the slots 3 constitute i guides for` the axle in its vertical movements. To cushion such movements, the usual elliptic springs (not shown) are employed, and in addition to these elliptic springs helical springs may be and preferably are provided to serve as' auxiliaries to the elliptic springs, both as tonormally assisting in cushioning direct and reactionary shocks and yas to wholly replacing the elliptic springs (in ease of their breakage), for a limited period. The helical springs are arranged in the slots 3, the one, 11, being positioned above the axle and the other, 12, being positioned below the axle. e

To maintain the assemblage of the springs, seat blocks of suitable construction 'are provided, the blocks for the spring 11 being designated bythe numerals 13 and 14, and the blocks for the spring 12 being designated by the numerals 15 and 16.'.v The several seat blocks are of H-shaped outline, being thus 'provided with lugs, as 17, which project in nected by bolts, as 18, which extend through the lugs 17 aforesaid. The blocks 14 and 15 also maintain the assemblage of anti-friction bearing pieces, as 19, which are int-erposed between the same' and the anges 10,

and bear against the flanges 5. In order that the axle bearings and their adjuncts may be assembled and disassembled as ea self-contained structure, the end convolutions of the springs 11 and 12 arepermanently secured to theseveral seat blocks aforesaid and are eov plate, as 23, which is secured to the outturned flange portions 6, as by fastenings 24 and which relieves the fastenings 22 of stresses, the flanged upper central portion '25 of each driving lug plate performing a similar function with relation to the fastenings 21.

The adjunctive mechanism for developing compressed air is associated with the axle suspension above described and as a part of the self-contained structure of said axle suspension. Said compressed air developing mechanism comprises essentially, a pump, the operation of which is incident to the vibratory action of the frame, a storage tank or reservoir, and a connection between said pump and-said storage tank or'reservoir.

The pump comprises, preferably, two telescopically related cup-shaped members, the one, 26, being associated with the block 13 and the other, 27, being associated with the block 14, and telescoping into the member 26. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the member 26 is threaded into the seat block 13, and the member 27 terminates in a spherical head, as 28, which is held, universal joint fashion, in a similarly shaped recess provided for by the assemblage of a pair of members 29, each of semi-disk shape, in a threaded recess 30, formed concentrically in the upper face of the vblock 14., The members 29 thus constitute, in effect, a split socket for the reception of the spherical head 28. The member 27 is provided'in its lower portion with apertures, as 31,' which open to a valve seat and which are controlled by a floating valve, as 32, held in proper relation by a spider or web, as 33.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative pump construction, in which the members 26 and 27 are associated with theirseat blocks by ball andA socket fastening devices, generally similar in construction to the fastening of the member 27 shown in Fig. l and above described, but differing therefrom in that the socket parts 29 are not threaded and are simply set into the recesses provided therefor, being held therein by threaded rings, as 34.

In Fig. 5, an axle suspension, as A, is shown at each side of the vehicle and it follows that the compressed air developing adjuncts may be, andpreferably are, employed in duplicate. rIhe stora e tanks or reservoirs are designated by t e numeral 35 and are connected to the respective pumps, by which they are supplied, by pipe or hose seetions 36, each provided with one or more check valves, as 37, and opening into the upper end of the members 26, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6. The air stored in the tanks 35 may be advantageously utilized asa medium to set the brakes and for this purpose the pressure operated. parts of the braking devices :are connected, pneumatically, with a pipe, as 38, which leads from the tanks or reservoirs 35 and which is provided with a valve, as 39, opened or closed in any suitable manner, e. g. by a lever (not shown) connected to a link, as 40, which is in turn connected to a crank arm at the end of the stem of said valve.

The construction of the braking devices is shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8. Each braking device consists essentially of a rim, as 41, which is xedly mounted on the inner side cf the wheel,A concentric with the hub, and an expansible band, as'42, which` is arranged4V concentrically within the rim and which, when expanded, engages frictionally with the inner surface thereof. It is proposed to provide a braking device adjacent each wheel, in order that ammore efficient braking action may be had. In Figs. 7 and 8, the braking devices are shown in their application to one of the front wheels, and the means for expanding and contracting the band .42 comprises elements which are 'carried by the knuckle post 43. For this purpose said knuckle post has at its under side a laterally projecting web, as 44, and at its upper side a laterally projecting stud, as 45. The web 44 carries'a stationary cylinder, as 46, within which a cup-shaped piston, as 47, is axially slidable. Upon the stud 45 a lever, as 48, is pivoted. One end of the band 42 is connected to the outer end of the lever 48 and the other end of said band is connected to said lever at a point inwardly of' the pivot 45. The inner end of the lever 48 is connected by a sliding 100 pivot device with an extension of the piston 47. The pipe 38 is provided with lateral branches 49 and these are in turn connected to the several cylinders 46 by flexible hose sections, as 50, which allow of the necessary 105 turning movement of the knuckle posts a'nd wheel studs. The tendency of the band 42 is to contract. In setting the brakes the Valve 39v is opened and compressed air is admitted to the cylinders 46. The pistons'47 110 are thus forced outwardly and, through the agency of the levers 48, cause the bands 42' to expand into frictional braking engagementwith the rims 41. The braking devices which are applied to the rear wheels -From the foregoing description, it will be readily apparent that the driving lugs 4 125 transmit power from the axle to the frame' in a certain and positive manner and thus relieve the springs of all stresses from this source. The efficient life of the springs is thus prolonged and their cushioning action is rendered more efficient, not only because it is permitted in an uninterrupted manner but also because it is assisted, as well by the auxiliary springs l1 and 12 as by the pumping mechanism. The operation of the latter is incidental to the natural vibration of the frame and requires no power to be taken from the engine, and the assemblage of the pumps in association with the suspensions has the advantages of com endiousness, inexpensiveness, and coperation with the suspensions. The construction provides for a permanent charge of compressed air and the utilization of this compressed air for setting brakes dispenses with taking power from the engine and provides for a quicker, easier, and more certain brake settlng operation. The arrangement isv of advantage in that it provides for the application of a braking device to each wheel and the braking devices are bf such construction that no special design of brake cluster or of knuckle post is necessitated.

Having fully described,V my invention', I claim:

1. The combination with a vehicle frame and its axle of a member secured at each side of the frame and consisting of` a plate having a vertical slot which extends to its loweredge and terminates short of its upper edge, an axle bearing slidable lengthwise of the slot and including separably related parts arranged at opposite sides of the axle and connected by bolts,

cushioning springs tted against the axle -bearing at opposite sides thereof, blocks arranged at the 'upper and` lower ends of the slots, against said blocks and againstsaid separably related parts and a plate removably attached to the member andclosing the lower end of the slot.

2. The combination with a vehicle frame and its axle of a member secured at each side of the frame and consisting 0f a plate having a vertical slot, springs for cushioning the movements of the axle and an axle bearing associated with each plate and comprising beari'ig sections having lugs projecting in pairs rom each end thereof and overlying the opposite sides of the plate, a bushing inclosed in the bearingV sections and immediately surrounding the axle, the bushing having'longitudinal langesat the sides thereof, members fitted against the bearing sections and having lugs projecting in pairsfrom each end thereof and overlying the opposite sides of the plate, bolts passing through the several named lugs and binding together the parts of each axle bearing, and bearing pieces arranged between the edges ofthe slots and the bearin sections and also between the flanges o? members. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

ORVILLE E. ALLEN.

the sprmgs seating Witnesses:

' JOHN S. PoWERs, CHAs. S. HYER.

the bushing and the l 

